Whisper Gatherers (22 page)

“Well, she won’t get far, the place is guarded on all sides.” As soon as Santy said those words, the main gate opened and a figure darted through it dragging another familiar bod. Then it closed shut.

“Huff and nad. Deogol!”

“I’ll gae bring her back,” Dreng said and ran to the gate. He tried to open it, but it was sealed shut. “Tell them within tae open this thing now!”

“No need,” Santy said. “The secret exit. Come on Dreng. Addy, go inside until we return.”

“No. I can be of use.”

“How?”

“Dunno,” I said and hung my head.

“We do not have time to argue. Orva, keep vigilant. Stay by the gate.”

“Done. Come back soon.”

“Come on. Let this be the start of your S.A.N.T. training. Pursuing the enemy.”

I near jumped with glee. I did not, though, instead I followed Dreng and Santy to the back of the complex to the secret opening, where a S.A.N.T. Guard stood. Dreng whispered something to him and he turned his back whilst I tapped in the numbers Grangran had given me. The wall became a door and we quickly went through it into the grey dark before the sun rises.

We raced around the complex to the outside gate where Lilith had taken Deogol too many secs before. Santy shone a torch upon the ground looking for tell-tale footprints. “Ah, too many tracks to know who’s are who’s. Where would she go?”

I scratched my noggin. “The Auditorium. The secret tunnels to escape?”

“Good thinking.”

Turning right, we headed towards Cityplaza. The sky became brighter so there was no need for artificial illumination. As we neared, I thought I heard my bro and called his name.

“You see him?”

“No. Santy, did you hear?”

“No, Addy.”

“I swear I heard Deogol.”

“From where?”

“Dunno.”

Santy sighed. We ran full pelt to the place and stared at the once clean and uniform square. Now it was little more than rubble. There was debris everywhere. A great hole in the side of the Auditorium spewed out clouds of dust. The fountain was a heap of broken cement and the great infoboard, nowt more than a twisted metal frame with bits of melted plassy hanging from it. Thousands of spent ammo, and those golden nail slugs littered the floor. The provision store and other buildings looked intact except for a few broken windows. The seedle bank doors were gone.

“What a woeful sight,” Santy said and we walked amongst the ruin as moontime ended.

The sun shot down daggers of brightness that illuminated patches of devastation. Split walkway stones jutted upwards like mini volcanoes. I stumbled over overturned benches and smashed flowerpots. There was broken glass just about everywhere we stepped. It reminded me of an ancient vid I’d seen of a war back in the old days when there was a place called England. The City of London looked a bit like the plaza after some Agro types called Snazzies, or something like that, bombed the guts out of it. I also remember that although the Hinglish were all but done in, they won that particular battle.

A loud boom caused us to swivel round. The Auditorium belched out smoke blocking the entrance with rubble. We saw a shape scuttle from the carnage. Santy sped to the steps and disappeared behind one of the columns. When next she came into view, she had Lilith in her grasp. Dreng bounded up the steps, tied a restraint around her puny wrists and pushed her before him.

“Where is Deogol?”

“Gone where he belongs.”

“Do nay be clever wi me, filthy Agro spy.”

Lilith snickered and spat on his boots. Dreng cuffed her cheek and she coughed. Santy grabbed her hair and pulled back her head. She choked.

“Tell us where Deogol is, or I will snap your neck.”

“Snap away.”

I thought my Santy would, for she yanked Lilith’s head backwards with such force that the Carnie/Prasiebee fell to the ground leaving a clump of her hair in Santy’s fingers. “Tell me or I will stomp upon your throat.” I’d never seen such hatred in my Santy’s eyes. She raised her foot and hovered it over Lilith’s neck. “Speak now.”

“Or what? You will kill me? How will that help?”

Santy lowered her boot and dragged Lilith to her feet by her tethered wrists.

“He is gone far, far away by now. Truly, I do not know where. All I did was take him from the oldie place and bring him here. A hooded male snatched him from me and told me to leave quick. I did.”

“Who took him? Carnie or Agro?”

Lilith shrugged. “No idea.”

My shoulders began to shake. Santy took my arms, pulled me close against her chest. When I was done blubbing, I sniffed and stood tall. “What now? The entrance is blocked, we cannot get in to look for Deogol. He is lost.”

Santy blinked slowly. “No, not lost, just gone temporarily.” She clenched her fingers and turned to Lilith. “What do you know?”

“Nothing more. My part in all this is done.”

“Do ye think we should take her to the fence and let the border guards interrogate her?” Dreng said.

“I do. It is good that we have found this Agro spy. I believe she knows more than she tells. Let us go quickly. We can do no more until we have a lead. Do not pout Addy, where would we look?”

Without further comment, Dreng grabbed Lilith and we walked to the perimeter fences. In the far distance, past the infoplace, out towards the other part of town, I saw specks of folk coming into view. They shimmered in the hazy light like the echoes of those that had moved on. Dreng stopped. “What spookiness is this?”

“Ghosties of those you killed. God has sent them down to administer vengeance.”

“Trap shut Praisebee,” he said and administered a wallop across her grime-matted head.

The shapes became bigger, less obscure. They were Cityfolk from the opposite end of town. They shuffled slowly along, carrying wounded, bubs and bits and bobs of belongings. A young ‘un with a white tunic attached to a long slim piece of metal, walked in front. He wafted the makeshift flag to and fro before him. He shouted in a hoarse voice, “We surrender. We surrender.”

I spat on the ground. “Measly feeblebellied excuses for hominids. Giving in to the enemy just like that.”

“Do not be so harsh Adara, this scuffle is unlike anything they have experienced.”

“True enough. The worst things they’ve experienced since today is a wastebin not being emptied on time. Still, it galls me to see such cowardice.”

“Only what I’d expect from the likes of you Cityfolk. With your cleaner than clean places, and your screeching at dirt and germs. If I was free I’d go around sneezing in your unsoiled faces and give you all the flu bug.”

“What? You have the flu? But that damn virus was eradicated more than a hundred orbits ago wasn’t it?”

“Relax Addy, Lilith doesn’t have a bug, she’s trying to upset you.”

“Goodly job done well.”

Lilith cackled.

Santy held her hands up and approached the folk. “We are not Agros as you can see. So no need to brandish the sign of capitulation.”

The kiddle lowered his flag and all stopped. A fem pushing a tot in a blue stroller came forward. She was dressed in fancy duds as if on her way to a shindig. In fact as I looked around at the other folk, I realised they were all wearing their finest outfits. Oddly indeed.

“Thank the OneGreatProvider. We observed and heard the skirmish in the centre square. When all the lights went out we did not know what to do. Luckily we were all attending a comingout day celebration.” She looked down fondly at the bub in the shovechair. “His actually. We stayed put waiting for info, but none came. Well, we would have remained till some news arrived, but the grub is running low and the bogflushes have stopped working, so we simply had to come out.”

Santy chewed her bottom lip. “We cannot bring so many to Goldenagehomes, there is not the space to house them. Were you bombed from your homes?”

“No, like I said we ran out of stuff we needed.”

“The plaza is devastated. The homedwellings on that side of town, uninhabitable also. The residents are holed up at the oldie centre. It is stuffed to capacity. I must suggest that you all go to your own dwellings and remain there. I promise, it will not be for too long. Help is on the way.”

“But, the loos, the food?”

“Search your storecupboards. There must some provisions left. Then share. As for flushings, well I can only suggest that holes be dug outside and you plop in there.”

One great, “Yeuk” rang out from one and all.

The fem said, “But, but, but…” then turned to the rest. “What to do?”

They scratched their heads, opened their mouths, but no one spoke.

“Do as I suggest, you are best at home than out there where all is chaos. All is filth.”

The folk did not move. They stared at Santy with a look of hopelessness. She sighed.

“Would you feel more secure if a S.A.N.T. or two accompanied you?”

“Oh yes,” the mam fem said.

“Addy, the perimeter fence is not far. Are you able to take Lilith to it?”

“Most def.,” I said and grabbed her from Dreng. She growled. I tightened her tethers to shut her up.

“Oh let’s go. At least we can remain unsullied from the dust and dirt.” The ma turned around, gave us a look as if to suggest that we could do with a wash and said, “This Agro thing is most irritating.”

“That it is,” Santy said. She touched my shoulder. “When you have deposited that scum, go straight back to Goldenagehomes. There is not much we can do without info. I will be quick.”

I nodded.

“Come, Dreng, let us deposit these frightened folk.”

All turned around and walked away.

“Right, Praisebee/Carnie, move.”

Lilith did and we marched to the north border fences. I was puzzled as to why the Praisebee said nowt, what with her being so vocal all other times. “What do you know of the Agro onslaught?”

“Not a thing.”

“Liar.”

“Perhaps, but I will not spill. Not to you.”

“Yeah, well, it is of no matter. We have won the battle and you and yours have lost. We will find Deogol.”

Lilith let out a great guffaw. “Believe what you will. Know this, though, amongst the rubble and here and there, I planted boom things to terrify and scare.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, this and that. Nice little Meek, your bro.”

She chortled again.

I let the back of my hand make contact with her cheek and she stopped laughing.

We arrived at the fence without further discourse. I saw many S.A.N.T.S. gathered at the guard huts. I waved to them. “Hey, hey, prisoner here. A Praisebee in cahoots with the mayor. Santy sent me. She took my bro. We need her to spill about his whereabouts,” I said and prodded her. She stumbled, but was stopped from falling by a border guard. He took her by the restraint and pulled her towards the hut. He pushed her inside the wooden cabin and before he closed the door I saw S.A.N.T.S. and guards swarm around Lilith like flies on a dead thing.

I caught her eye. She snorted and shouted out, “I will be rewarded for what I have done. They will come for me. I gave them something special.” A guard thwacked her. She fell to the floor.

Turning to the guard that remained outside, I said, “What will they do with her?”

“Interrogate and find out what she knows.”

“What, all of them?”

“She may be more willing to give out when encompassed by so many of the enemy.”

“Goodly plan.”

“We have word that Carnies disguised as Agros may yet arrive, we must be well informed of their strategy. She knows what is what.”

Although I was fearful for my bro, I did not think that more scuffles were to come.

“But, I thought the battle won?”

He raised his eyebrow by way of response.

Chapter Twenty-Six

More Bangs And Booms

My journey back to Goldenagehome should have been quick, but the words that Lilith said about devices and boomings, played upon my mind like a kiddle on a swingbar. I changed my direction and headed back to Centralplaza.

All was still and quiet, except for a wind that swished around the buildings. I looked to where Santy and Dreng had gone with the other folk. There came a gut-churning explosion. A great plume of smoke appeared from the far end of town. Two more bangs, more smoke, then the sound of many cries and wailings.

I raced towards the noise and saw folk stumble from their dwellings, cut and bloody. I ran amongst them asking where Santy and Dreng were, but they did not respond. So I shouted until my throat closed over.

More dust and blood-covered folk emerged. They stumbled past me as I made my way to a building, not unlike Puritytowers, only smaller. The glass was gone. It looked like a massive metal skeleton. Residents tumbled out from the open doorways and behind them, I glimpsed Dreng carrying Santy. I legged it quick. “Santy! Santy!”

“Hush now lassie. She is broken and needs help. As do the others.”

Santy twitched her lids. “Santy it’s me, Adara.”

“Put me down.”

Dreng gently lowered her to the floor. I knelt beside her.

“Are you badly injured?”

“Might be this time, but help me to stand and let us go back to your Grangran, where it is safe. The others must come too.”

We helped her to her feet and between us we half carried, half dragged her towards Goldenagehomes. We paused. I shouted to the stumbling folk, “Follow us to a safe place. Do not dawdle, or question, just follow and quickly.” Without waiting for a reply, we walked on.

“Ye have a voice of authority upon ye. See how they tramp behind us without question?”

I looked and indeed, they did march behind. It took a longly time to get to Goldenagehomes. Orva was astounded when she opened the gate and saw the many wounded we brought with us. “Ah, Breanna, no,” she said and called over to a S.A.N.T. guard. He and Dreng supported Santy. She was out of it.

Her head was slumped against her chest, her left arm hung down as if all the bones had been removed. Blood soaked her right trouser leg and it took all of my self-control not to fling my arms around her. They carried her away and Orva touched my arm. “All these folk, what occurred? I heard a distant booming and was anxious.”

“We found Lilith, but not Deogol. She was planting bombs as it turned out. She is with the border guards now.”